Alpha 1-antichymotrypsin Levels Research Articles

Alpha-1 antichymotrypsin levels are actively increased in normal colostrum.

It is well known that human colostrum has important antiinflammatory functions. The purpose of the current study was to determine antiprotease levels in colostrum and serum and to assess the importance of local synthesis and the electrophoretic differences in both locations. Five protease inhibitors were determined by radical immunodiffusion in colostrum and serum samples taken simultaneously from 50 healthy women, 36 to 72 hours after delivery. Antithrombin II, inter-alpha trypsin inhibitor, and alpha-2 macroglobulin levels were undetectable in colostrum. Mean antitrypsin levels in colostrum were 6% of serum levels, but colostrum alpha-1 antichymotrypsin was higher than expected (0.39+/-0.34 g/l) in relation according to the albumin passive transport, and their mean value was 41% of serum levels. Colostrum antichymotrypsin levels did not correlate with serum antichymotrypsin levels or with colostrum albumin levels. The antichymotrypsin molecule in colostrum had a slower electrophoretic mobility when compared with that of serum antichymotrypsin, and it showed a different pattern in Western blot analysis, with a predominating 80-kDa molecule. Although the origin of colostral antichymotrypsin is unclear, local production in breast epithelial cells is likely. Antichymotrypsin is increased in colostrum, and its molecule has some characteristic differences, suggesting that it has an important and specific role in infant nutrition during breast milk feeding.

Alpha 1-antichymotrypsin level in cerebrospinal fluid is closely associated with late onset Alzheimer's disease.

The levels of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin (ACT) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 66 sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and 54 normal controls were measured by enzyme immunoassay and compared. There was no correlation (r = 0.259, n = 54) between the ACT level and normal aging. The levels of ACT were significantly higher in the total AD group (p < 0.01) than in the normal control group. Dividing AD patients into early onset AD (n = 27) and late onset AD groups (n = 39), the mean level of CSF ACT in the late onset AD group was significantly higher than that in the normal control group (p < 0.001) and that in the early onset AD group (p < 0.01). Thus, the level of ACT in CSF is closely associated with late onset AD.

Acute Phase Reactant α1Antichymotrypsin Is Increased in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Serum of Patients with Probable Alzheimer Disease

Levels of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin (alpha 1-ACT) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum from patients with probable Alzheimer disease (AD) of both early (e-AD) and late (l-AD) onset assessed by a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were higher than those found in controls or in patients with vascular dementia (VD). A negative correlation between CSF levels of alpha 1-ACT and the stage of the disease was present in patients with both e-AD and l-AD. No difference in alpha 2-macroglobulin levels in CSF and serum from patients with e-AD, l-AD, VD, and nondemented controls was found. Serum concentrations of alpha 1-antitrypsin from l-AD subjects were within the normal range. Thus, increased levels of alpha 1-ACT in CSF and serum were specifically associated with AD, and the detection of this serpin in CSF may be useful in monitoring the progression of the disease.

Heterozygous ?1-antichymotrypsin deficiency may be associated with cold urticaria

Proteins of the serpin family (serine protease inhibitor) control key steps in the inflammatory, coagulation and complement systems. C1-inhibitor deficiency predisposes to hereditary angioneurotic oedema, and other serpins control proteolytic enzymes that may cause complement activation or the forming of oedema. We investigated whether deficiency of proteins of the serpin family may predispose to cold urticaria and therefore screened 7 male patients with severe cold urticaria for the presence of deficiency alleles of some of the members of the serpin antiprotease family. There were no findings of C1-inhibitor, alpha 1-antitrypsin, alpha 2-antiplasmin, antithrombin III, tissue plasminogen activator inhibitor or thyroxine binding protein deficiency. The prevalence of heterozygous alpha 1-antichymotrypsin deficiency was significantly higher than expected (prevalence ratio 25.8 (95% confidence interval 6.0-112), p < 0.0001). This finding is in concert with previous studies that have shown lower mean levels of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin among patients with cold urticaria and suggests that heterozygous deficiency of this antiprotease, which controls neutrophil cathepsin G and mast cell chymase may predispose to cold urticaria. The present series is, however, small and the results need confirmation in larger materials.

Variations in the glycoforms of serum alpha 1-antichymotrypsin in liver diseases and after liver transplantation.

1. Using crossed immunoaffinity electrophoresis with free concanavalin A in the first dimension, we studied the microheterogeneity of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin due to various glycoforms in sera from patients with various liver diseases and after liver transplantation. 2. Studies by isoelectric focusing and immunoblotting and by crossed immunoelectrophoresis without concanavalin A in the first dimension allowed us to show that there is no dramatic variation in electrophoretic heterogeneity of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin in the serum of patients with liver diseases or after liver transplantation when compared with that of normal subjects. Therefore the heterogeneity observed in crossed immunoaffinity electrophoresis is due to various interactions with concanavalin A. 3. The results were expressed as the ratio of concanavalin A non-reactive glycoforms plus concanavalin A weakly reactive glycoforms to concanavalin A reactive glycoforms, called R alpha 1-ACT. R alpha 1-ACT was significantly higher in patients with cirrhosis (n = 53) when compared with normal subjects (n = 30). The median R alpha 1-ACT was 1 (range 0.72-1.25) in normal subjects. It was 1.6 (range 1.18-3.02), 1.45 (range 0.65-4.12) and 2.24 (range 1.03-19) in cirrhosis of Child's grade A, B and C, respectively. There was a dramatic decrease in glycoforms with mostly biantennary glycans in some patients with Child's grade C cirrhosis. Serum levels of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin were lower than normal only in some patients with Child's grade C cirrhosis. 4. Among the patients with acute viral hepatitis studied (n = 17), five were studied longitudinally.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)